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AFM Magazine

AFM Magazine


Maximize Your Kick Protection –

by: Tim Salem
Offensive Coordinator & Running Backs Coach, University of Central FL
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Central Florida’s Tim Salem believes that one of the most neglected areas of special teams play is extra point and field goal protection.

At Central Florida, we believe that special teams play is equally important to both the performance of our offense and defense. As every coach knows, one great special teams play can win a game and a mistake by your special teams can lose a game.
  

  One of the most underrated parts of special teams play is extra point and field goal protection. Included is our philosophy of play along with timing, types of rushes, procedure and alignment, assignments, positional techniques, coverage, and snap count.

I.     Philosophy     

    The objective of the game is to score points. Concentration is critical. We will not negate a three point score through a lack of concentration. Watch the football (peripheral vision) and move on it, and we will stay on-sides. We must form a solid protection wall for our kicker. Every man must perform in order for our protection to be solid. We must take pride in our jobs. 
 
II.      TIMING 

    In order to minimize the potential for a blocked kick, we must kick the ball within 1.25 seconds. If we maintain the depth and the width of our kicking pocket, and kick the ball in the allotted time, it will be virtually impossible to block one of our kicks. 
III.  TYPES OF RUSHES 

    Obviously, a block can occur at any area across our front. However, there are certain types of rushes that we must understand in order to effectively block them.    

Inside Rush 

This rush is designed to collapse the depth of the kicking pocket. This allows taller rushers to extend an arm or hand into the kicking lane (See Diagram 1).


The interior blockers must brace and maintain the depth of the kicking pocket. They must be physical and cannot get collapsed.  
 
Outside Block 

    The philosophy of an outside block is to free 1 of 3 rushers (preferably the inside rusher) by rushing from designated alignments within stress areas of the blocker’s zones (See Diagram 2).
  

  We must always defend the inside gap with the proper technique. This will maintain the width of the kicking pocket and force the widest rusher into making the block.
 
IV.  PROCEDURE AND ALIGNMENT 

We will align as quickly as possible on the ball for any PAT/FG attempt. In the case of a PAT attempt we will have the ability to ‘muddle’ huddle (See Diagram 3).   


 
    The RTE will align over the ball as if he were the center. He will not put his hand on the ball initially. If we are going to move the formation over the ball, the holder will call “1”. The LW will then mimic the call and command us to move. (“1-Ready Over”) If we are going to fake from the MUDDLE formation, the holder will give us a call that corresponds to a specific fake. 
  

  After moving the formation, the holder will make sure the kicker is ready. After checking with the kicker, the holder will command a call. This call indicates if we are kicking the ball or running a fake from our regular PAT/FG formation. When the holder has indicated the number, he will then command “Ready-Set”. No movement can occur as the center can snap the ball anytime after “Ready-Set”. The holder should show his hand to center as a visual command that all is ready.

Our formation and alignment is as follows (Diagram 4) -


V.    ASSIGNMENTS        

Center - Perfect snap. Seal middle.    

Guards - Block inside gap, over.    

Tackles - Block inside gap, over.        

Ends - Block inside gap, over, outside gap.    

Wingbacks - Block inside gap, redirect outside rush.    

Holder - Seven yards, 12 inches deep, perfect hold. 

Kicker - Have poise, make the kick. 
 
VI. POSITIONAL TECHNIQUES

•  Center

    He is responsible for a perfect snap. He should snap his head up but keep his chest down. Don’t let him be pulled forward. Have him settle back and stay big in the center box area. Do not let him close his base. Have him vary his time between “set” and snap.
 
•  Guards  

    Their split is zero inches. They should stagger the inside foot behind the center’s outside heel. Have them align in a 3-point stance, inside arm down, inside foot back and step forward with the inside foot to a locked position. Align them as tight as possible as a level one position (See Diagram 5).


 
    The guards are responsible for the inside gap. They must maintain the depth of the kicker’s pocket by not getting pushed off the line of scrimmage. On the snap of the ball, they should step up and inside, putting their feet behind the centers. Do not move their outside foot. Brace the center’s hip and hit on the rise. Keep their shoulders parallel to the line of scrimmage. Shoot their inside arm to punch and hook their outside arm with the inside arm of the man outside them. 

•  Tackles  

Split is three inches. Align them in a 3-point stance, inside arm down, inside foot back and step forward with the inside foot to a locked position. Align them as tight as possible at a level one position. They are responsible for the inside gap and must maintain the depth and width of the kicker’s pocket.
   

If there is no threat to the inside gap, they help the end by staying big in the tackle box and not moving their outside foot. On the snap of the ball, they step up and inside. They should not move their outside foot. Have them brace the guard’s leg and hit on the rise. They should eep their shoulders parallel to the line of scrimmage. Now they shoot their inside arm to punch and hook their outside arm with the inside arm of the man outside.

•  Ends 
 
The split is 3 inches. Align them in a 3-point stance, inside arm down with the inside foot back (See Diagram 6).



    They are responsible for the inside gap and giving help to the wingback versus an outside block using the Pivot Technique. Have them step in the flat with their inside foot-brace. Versus an outside block, have them step in the flat with their inside arm and shoulder – pivot off their inside foot and drop step their outside foot so that their body is now at a 45-degree angle to knee depth of the wingback. They should help the wingback by staying big in this position. They use their outside arm to pin the crease between them and the wingback. 
 
•  Wingbacks  

    Align them at knee depth with the TE, facing outward at a 45-degree angle. Their inside knee should be to the outside knee of the TE. Their stance is a two-point stance with hands of knees (See Diagram 7).
  



  Their responsibility is the inside gap. They must maintain the width of the kicker’s pocket. They need to stay low and flexed. They need to protect the inside gap with their shoulder and inside forearm. Have them use the outside hand to extend and knock the outside defender off course to the block point.        
 

   Versus two rushers inside and outside, their body position will block the inside rusher. Have them reach out, keeping their inside foot in place, with hands to contact the outside rusher with enough force to change his angle to the block point. Have them shoot their eyes to the outside rusher after securing the inside gap. They should never give up the inside. They need to keep their inside foot in place and force the furthest rusher to widen (See Diagram 8).



Remember, the wingback away from the block side on field goals will delay his pivot and turn to become the contain man versus a blocked kick. 
 
•  Holder   

The holder’s stance should have the forward knee down on the ground and back knee flexed and bent. He is responsible for checking for 11 men on the field. He should check kicker and team, give kick or fake command, and then call “Ready-Set”. He should place ball exactly on the spot with hand nearest kicker and the laces turned away from the kicker. 

•  Kicker  

He must concentrate on the spot while keeping his head down. He starts forward on the movement of the holder’s bottom hand and makes the kick! 

VII.  COVERAGE 

Since any field goal attempt can be returned (we will cover any attempt outside the 20-yard line) and pooch punt from a FG formation, it is imperative that we are sound in our coverage responsibilities (See Diagram 9).
 
 
Center:  split the goal posts. 

Guards: down either hash. 

Tackles: split the hash and the #’s. 

Tight Ends: down the #’s. 

Wings: split the sideline and the #’s and contain the football. 

Holder: safety to the right. 

Kicker:  safety to the left.   
 
 
VIII.    “OVER” CALL           

Any time we attempt a field goal from the 12-yard line and in and also from one of the hash marks, we will use our “Over” formation. By calling “Over” we are taking the tackle from the boundary and putting him to the field side of the formation. The “Over” tackle aligns outside the boundary and puts him to the field side of the formation. The “Over” tackle aligns outside the field tackle. The kicker and holder are responsible for communicating an “Over” call to the rest of the team. The holder and kicker will also adjust. The kicker will not make his spot over the inside leg of the guard to the field (call side). The center must adjust his snap to the new spot (See Diagrams 10 and 11). 



IX.    SNAP COUNT  

The holder will call out one of the following counts:

    •  “Able-Able” - one count after ready-set.
    •  “Baker-Baker” - two count after ready-set.
    •  “Charlie-Charlie” - three count after ready-set.

Prior to giving a “Color” code (gold equals kick) is followed by “Ready-Set”.  For example -  “Baker, Baker...Gold, Gold, Ready Set”, thousand 1, thousand 2 – Then the ball is snapped.
   
    Attention to detail and constant reps are the keys to successful special teams and, more specifically, extra point and field goal protection. 


Tim Salem begins his eighth season at Central Florida this fall, serving as Tight Ends Coach and Special Teams Coordinator. He previously was the Offensive Coordinator at Eastern Michigan (2003) and the Quarterbacks Coach at Ohio State (1997-2000). A 1985 graduate of Arizona State, Salem also coached at Purdue, Colorado State and Phoenix College.






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